Overwatch Summer Games 2017 Skins Revealed

The return of the Summer Games event to Overwatch not only heralds Lúcioball’s comeback and the old Olympic Games themed skins, but the addition of entirely new skins as well, many of which have become instant hits throughout the community. Chances are that if you’ve been active at all on Social Media, you’ve already heard about the Soldier: 76 Grill Dad skin.

A handful of heroes including Soldier: 76, Reaper, Widowmaker, Junkrat, McCree, Mercy and Sombra have gotten new beach-themed outfits for when they grab a bit of R&R in between matches and catch some of that summer sun. This time around, the skins can be bought with currency in the store as well as randomly dropping from lootboxes, so if you have enough gold saved up – that would be 3000 for Legendaries – you’re guaranteed to get the skin you want.

One interesting thing to note here is that the weapons on Grillmaster: 76 and Sombra’s Tulum skin confirm that the rumor started by the Doomfist developer video that separate weapons skins are coming was a false alarm. While the characters in that video sported default costumes, they both toted their Summer Games weapons, likely for testing purposes. Too bad.

Up first is Reaper’s Biker skin, which clads our emo solo damage dealer in orange and black stunt gear. He switches his hood for a biker helmet, but the visor retains the iconic skull design, and as a nod to the common community quip thrown at him, one of his thigh-plates is emblazoned by a stylized “Edge” caption. His hellfire shotguns also took on a sporty look with wheels on each of them. It’s odd that when it comes to giving Reaper a biker skin, Blizz went for a stunt style as opposed to a chopper-riding MC gang member, which style already incorporates skull themed imagery (think Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider).

Mercy’s summer beachwear is neither beachwear nor particularly linked to summer, save for the fact that she’d likely be cold in any other season. Nonetheless, it’s a stylish, ancient Greek style robe complete with matching hairstyle, olive branches on her head and winged sandals. Her wing additions are actual feathers this time around too. The skin listens to the Winged Victory name.

Sombra’s Tulum skin has the Talon hacker rocking lime green and purple scuba gear, as well as a lime green SMG which made its debut in Doomfist’s developer video. Most scuba diving suits are as form-fitting as possible to assist swimming, but Blizzard tired to keep the general shape of Sombra’s other skins, so here her skirt is replaced with two flippers hung on her hips and… some weird see-through plastic towel thing tied around her waist?

McCree’s lifeguard skin became an instant hit with fans. The cowboy traded in his iconic hat and poncho for a hay sunhat, a towel around hi shoulders and swimming trunks. His revolver looks more like a flare gun mixed with a water pistol, his augmented hand painted hot-rod red. He’s also got a strong tan and a belt buckle reading “SAMF”, an acronym which has puzzled fans ever since being revealed.

Junkrat’s new skin is the only one to be added in this event which is actually related to sports, and what sport would you assign to an Australian character if not cricket? Besides having a full cricket outfit complete with protective face cage. Additional details include a kangaroo on his grenade launcher (which now shoots cricket balls, by the way) and a cricket bat for his cybernetic peg-leg.

Widowmaker’s Cote D’Azur skin sees her ditching the multi-eyed spider-like night vision goggles for good old sunglasses and don an outfit only slightly more revealing than her default one. Adding to the long list of gaming outfits completely unsuitable for combat (though McCree fits this criteria perfectly, too) is a bikini and towel. At least the sniper rifle isn’t a super soaker… wait, actually, that would be pretty awesome.

Saving the best for last is Soldier: 76’s Grillmaster: 76 skin, the design brief of which was probably “fit as many puns as you can into it”. Going for a full beach dad look, the former strike commander dons a white socks and sandals combo, brown shorts, a Hawaiian short sleeve shirt and some rather unstylish glasses – but it only gets better from there. His pulse rifle features mustard-on-a-hot-dog detailing, and the underbarrel attachment is a shaker with “a salt rifle” written on it. The grenades on his arm-belt are now cans of beer, and he has a tactical grilling apron with “raise the steaks” emblazoned on it. This is maximum pun-fuelled fan-service here, people.

The Summer Games event runs through the 29th of August.

Overwatch Summer Games 2017 Skins Revealed was last modified: August 9th, 2017 by Duncan Maxwell